The Community
by arl with a K
Summary: After escaping from the horror in Atlanta, Callum and Amber discover a place to hide. After a dusty old radio picks up more survivors, they decide to broadcast their Safe House. Will the new found community survive the Zombie Apocalypse or will their human nature destroy the Sanctuary? ..contains original characters and characters created for the comic/TV show..
1. 98 The Hawthorns

Twisting the radio controls back and forward, the static hissed and cracked for a while and then, through the broken clatter they heard a voice…

"Help me…"

* * *

As the virus had spread, Callum hopped onto his motorcycle and deserted his home in the centre of the city. After finding his childhood friend, Amber, they'd made their way out of Atlanta. Throughout their journey they'd witnessed scenes of chaos and destruction; burning buildings, blood splattered streets and terrified people screaming as they tried to flee from the monsters which craved the taste of flesh. As the bike weaved in and out of wrecked cars and the occasional feeding frenzy along Route 85, the adrenaline and fear that had kept them moving, was slowly being replaced with fatigue and hunger. It was when Amber almost fell of the bike that Callum decided to find somewhere to rest. Scouting through the smaller city of Athens, they were greeted by familiar scenes of violence and pandemonium and then down a small side street, they stumbled across the perfect spot where they could hold up for the night. The Hawthorns.

The Hawthorns was, or had been, a residential area, made up of four separate, beautifully designed buildings which housed three floors of apartments each. Even with the rest of the city in the state it was, this area looked untouched, apart from the obvious signs of people's fear. A few windows were smashed and blood splashed the ground below where a body should've lay. There wasn't any indication that the undead were lurking around and from the lack of cars outside, it seemed the inhabitants were also long gone. It was a private estate, made more secure by its electronic steel gates. Luckily for the duo, the gates had been wedged open as the residents had tried to escape in a wild panic. Callum swung his bike into a parking spot and they moved over to the first building on the right. Approaching the door, it swung freely in the wind, unable to close due to a lone shoe lost in the getaway. They entered the building cautiously and kicked the shoe out of the doorway, as the door swung shut, a lock clicked into place giving Callum and Amber a small sense of security. Carefully and quietly they made their way up the stairs to the first floor, neither of them would feel comfortable sleeping on the ground floor. First they tried the door on their right, locked. At first, Amber smiled thinking that other survivors were inside, but after further inspection, they noticed a broken key was lodged in the lock suggesting it had been locked from outside and the key had snapped as its owner took off. Giving up, they turned to the door on the left; two silver numbers adorned the white door, "98". Slowly, Callum pushed down on the handle and to their relief it clicked open.

Pushing on the heavy door, they stepped into a dark hallway.

"Hello?" Callum called into the shadows. No reply. Catching a glance from Amber, he stroked his hand over the wall in search of the light switch. As the hall lit up they both paused and listened for any movement beyond the hallway. Once they were both certain they were alone they closed the door behind them and twisted the lock. Breathing quietly, they made their way around the apartment checking every room was safe. It wasn't a huge place, two bedrooms, small kitchen, bathroom and a decent sized living room.

"Nice. This place is cute." Said Amber. The apartment looked untouched, everything was in perfect condition. It seemed as though whoever had left it had done so in a hurry, whoever it was, they had style and were very tidy.

"Check this out!" Callum yelled in from the kitchen. Having opened the fridge, his face had lit up as he discovered it was fully stocked. Joining his excitement Amber had come in to inspect the cupboards. They'd hit the jackpot. They'd found the perfect apartment, full of food and drink and two sets of locked doors secured them from the outside world. Cracking open a bottle, the pair clinked their drinks together and swigged at the refreshingly cold beer.

"Perfect!" Amber sighed as she bounced into a comfy leather sofa as they made their way back into the lounge. Nodding in agreement, Callum moved over to the front window, parting the blinds with one hand, as he held his bottle to his mouth with the other, he checked the street below. It was eerily silent, street lights lit the breezy trees but nothing else moved outside. As he stared out of the window, Amber looked to her friend and smiled.

Callum was extremely attractive, what's commonly known as the "tall, dark and handsome." With an olive glowing tan, his dark brown hair swept backwards in a scruffy parting and contrasted perfectly against his beautiful light brown eyes. Stubble defined his rugged jaw line and plump pink lips caressed the neck of his beer bottle. As the Outbreak had made it to Callum, he was at work at the Garage and so he still had his dirty blue mechanic overalls on, there was a tear in the left leg of his trousers slightly revealing a muscled thigh. Having rolled his overalls down to his waist, he exposed a white T-Shirt which clung to his masculine torso and defined his muscular physique even more. His strong arms made all the girls (and even some boys) go weak at the knees as they dreamt of being swept away by the guy with the perfect smile. If his appearance wasn't enough to get people's attention, he had the personality to match. He was intelligent, kind, honest, generous and strong and he'd always tried to make sure he was there for his friends as they were his only family. Callum's parents had passed away a few years prior to the Outbreak which now seemed like a good thing to him, he couldn't bear the thought of losing his mother and father to those flesh eating freaks out there. They were in a safe place now.

Taking another sip from his beer, Callum turned back to his female companion and smirked as she lay across the sofa, falling asleep with her bottle still in hand. It was obvious to see why people expected them to be together.

Amber was a very beautiful girl, inside and out. Her fiery red hair was tied up in a rushed mess and her slender body was currently hidden beneath a baggy college jumper that was hanging off her bare shoulder and some shredded jeans which also revealed tender skin. When she wanted to, she could be incredibly sexy and much more girly, but after getting a panicked call from Callum, she'd just thrown on something comfortable and waited for him at her college dorm. She was studying to become a dancer but due to current situations, her career was put on hold as they raced from Atlanta on Callum's motorbike.

Amber had been his best friend since they were kids, they were neighbours and went to the same school and he looked to her like a little sister even though they were both twenty-four. She didn't mind, she loved him back in the same way and enjoyed his company. They were the type of couple that people always expected to be dating and they'd heard people ask about a wedding date many times, but their relationship wasn't like that at all and never had been. They loved each other dearly, but never in a romantic way.

Placing his drink on a table, he moved over to Amber and put her drink atop a fireplace before lifting her gently in his arms. Cradling her, he stepped around the sofa and headed for one of the bedrooms. It appeared to be a teenage girl's room, posters of pop stars hid the wallpaper, a vanity chest was scattered with make-up and perfume bottles and silky white sheets dressed the double bed. Kicking a stuffed teddy out of his path, Callum placed Amber onto the soft mattress and covered her with the duvet before leaning down and softly kissing her forehead.

"Sweet dreams Princess." He whispered before heading back to the door. As he reached to turn the bedroom light off Amber whispered back with a cheeky smile.

"Good Night Cal." Shaking his head with a grin, he turned the light off and made his way to the other bedroom. This one had an en suite and so he thought he'd take the opportunity to clean up. The water still worked even if it was stone cold, but what did he expect when America and possibly the whole world was being destroyed by Walkers? The freezing water stole his breath as the shower washed away the days' troubles. He didn't know where the Walkers had come from or even fully understand what they were, all he knew is that they were dangerous…very dangerous.

* * *

He had been working under a car for almost an hour when it all started, his colleague, Ben, stepped out of the garage office telling him to come and check the news on TV but before they made it back inside a man walked into the garage covered in blood and begging for help. Callum reached for his mobile and tried to call for an ambulance whilst his co-worker moved closer to aid the injured man. After discovering the emergency number was experiencing a high number of calls and was unable to answer, confusion set in. Putting his phone away, he ran over to help the man, it was too late, he'd already lost too much blood and had gone. As he and Ben discussed what to do next, the corpse had reanimated and decided to take a chunk out of the Ben's calf muscle. Amidst panic and confusion, Callum ran to his friend's side and stared in disbelief as the undead man crawled towards them. A second later another blood soaked customer entered, groaning and hissing with a thirst for human flesh. Callum quickly tried to lift his injured friend to his feet but his Ben had gone into a state of shock and was struggling to move at all. Callum was deafened as Ben let out a painful scream; the crawler had reached them and taken another bite from his leg.  
Dragging him out of harm's way, Callum spotted yet another Walker enter the garage; Ben had passed out through pain. Making a plan on the spot, Callum quickly locked Ben in the office and reached for a wrench. The Walkers were cornering him.

"Stay back!" His orders fell on deaf ears. "Don't come any closer!" Again, the undead ignored and kept on to him, blood dripped from their mouths. There was only one way out. Clutching the wrench firmly, he charged at the closest monster. Putting all of his strength into his arm he swung the solid tool across his body, smashing the metal wrench into the Walker's jaw. Upon impact, the creature slumped to the floor. By this time the crawler was by his legs and as it grabbed for his foot, he kicked out and brought his foot down hard, crushing its skull. It laid there now life-less, one down… by this time, the Walker with the now broken jaw had stumbled back to its feet. Again Callum rushed at it and after learning from his previous kill, embedded the wrench into the skull of this beast. Now both lay besides each other and a glimmer of hope sparked in Callum's eyes as he looked to the final intruder who was banging on the glass of the office door. He stepped forwards, adrenaline and power filling his body and then he heard that sound again. A low grumbling and distorted hisses. Turning round he saw a group of about ten more of these creatures. His natural instincts had told him not to stay and fight these beasts whatever they were but to run save himself. Sprinting past the small horde he leapt onto his motorcycle and started it up, racing down the street before the Walkers could reach him. As he sped away, he saw more and more of these beast, some wandering aimlessly, some feeding on something that was so mangled it was beyond recognition. People screamed as they ran in terror, clumsily falling over and offering themselves to the feeders. He had to swerve around crashed cars as their drivers were mauled by hungry Walkers. He spotted a school bus with innocent children running in all directions, screams and tears pierced his ears. The scene around him overcame his emotions and as he turned the corner he reached for his phone to call the one person he needed to protect. As he was soothed slightly by the soft tone in Amber's voice, he headed down town to her college campus as the city around him was enshrouded in turmoil. As he raced deeper into the city, he realised just how real this was and his fear for Amber's safety caused him to put his foot down. After meeting her outside her dormitory they embraced and without a thought headed out of the city along Route 85.

* * *

Stepping out of the shower, he felt a little more refreshed, and slightly colder so he reached for a towel hanging by his side. As it pressed against his skin, the soft fabric reminded him of his childhood home when his mother used to hand him a freshly washed towel straight from the radiator so it was nice and warm when he wrapped it around him. The comfort of the memory brought a smile to his face and after drying himself off, he slipped into the king sized bed. At first he felt a little strange sleeping in a stranger's bed but as the day's events caught up with him, he was soon fast asleep.

Throughout the night, visions of the horrors he'd seen flashed into his mind and woke him. He'd sit up in a panic before realising it was just a dream and trying restlessly to go back to sleep. In the other room, a full day of ballet rehearsals and the evening trip made sure Amber slept through the whole night, peacefully dreaming of a future long lost.

* * *

At sunrise, the tantalising smell of bacon woke Callum and for a moment he forgot the day before. It wasn't until he remembered this wasn't his bed that everything came flooding back to him. Reaching for his overalls, he pulled them up to his waist and curiously left the bedroom. The homely smell filled the apartment and as he turned into the kitchen he was greeted by a surprisingly smiley Amber. Wearing only her oversized jumper and tiny, black, laced underwear she was humming along to her favourite song and cooking up a sizzling breakfast.

"Mornin' hun." She smiled as she slid a fried egg onto a plate beside some bacon and baked beans. "Thought I'd treat ya to something yummy since you were my knight in shining armour yesterday." As she finished dishing up the two breakfasts, she passed one over to him. "Kick start to the day the British way."

"Thank you." He politely accepted as they made their way to the dining table which was at the back of the living room. It was as if the events of yesterday hadn't happened as they happily shovelled forkfuls of delicious food into their mouths and laughed as Amber splattered egg yolk across the table. It seemed as though they were just some happy couple living in a nice apartment with the world moving on outside, they even washed the dishes after eating and borrowed some ill-fitting clothes from the wardrobes in their individual rooms.

"So, what now?" Amber asked as Callum stepped back into the room struggling to make the "XL" jeans he'd found stay up.

"Well, first of all, I think I need to stick to my own clothes…" He said as he went to swap back into his overalls. "Then I guess we get moving." He shouted from the bedroom.

"Moving? Where?" Amber had a sudden flare in her voice. "You saw what's out there! In Atlanta, down to Athens, who's to even say it isn't the whole damn country that's been affected?" Although he didn't like the idea of the entire country being infested by these flesh eating zombies, he agreed with Amber. Where would they go? Would they be safe there? How many Walkers would they need to fight off along the way?

"You're right." He said. "Besides, this place seems a perfect hideout. We'll just hold up here until the President…or the army… or whoever sorts all this out." He said, the look on his face as he came back in showed Amber that he didn't believe what he was saying either. This wasn't something anybody was prepared for; they didn't even know if the President was still alive. Would anybody be able to sort this out? Would this terror ever end? Even with these questions spinning through her mind she smiled and nodded.

"It is quite the little castle we've got here." She agreed as she turned her attention to the windows. She'd raised the blinds earlier and the morning sun light was beaming down over the street outside, a soft mist drifted across the gardens and everything else remained perfectly still.

"But we need to take a look around." Callum insisted. "We'll start with this building, who knows, maybe there are still others here… and if not we need to make sure it's completely secure." He paused as a smile attempted to cross his lips. "And maybe somebody owns some clothes that will fit me." He jested as he slipped his arms into the sleeves of his overalls and zipped it up to just below his chest. Amber finished tying the laces on her tatty old Converse shoes and took a deep breath.

"Okay, let's do this." She said not overly-confident.

"Don't worry, just stay with me and we'll be fine…" Callum said, his voice not sounding too convinced either, but she trusted him and just being with him made her feel safe.

Before they left the apartment they armed themselves, just in case. Amber held a baseball bat by her side whilst Callum had decided to have a testosterone filled "Rambo" moment and gone for a dagger… or rather, a kitchen knife.

"Remember; if we come across one of… them… go for the head. They seem to just keep getting up unless you aim for the head. Perhaps it's the brain?" He puzzled. Leading the way, he slowly turned the lock on the door and took a deep breath. Taking one last look at Amber, who nodded to let him know she was ready, he opened the door carefully, making sure the coast was clear before stepping out into the stairway.

Outside the apartment, silence. Peeking over the balcony, Callum saw that the entrance door was still firmly locked shut. He took a quick glance to the stairs leading up to the second floor and listened for movement. Once he was satisfied that the stairway was empty, except for them, they crept warily down to the ground floor. Communicating only through eye contact and the occasional whispered word they'd soon routed through two vacated apartments. Just like the home they'd spent the night in, the ground floor accommodation was also practically perfect and almost in pristine condition. One of the bedrooms was covered in clothes from an empty wardrobe as its owner had tried to pack a bag for her escape but Amber and Callum forgave her messy garments under current circumstances.

"Ground floor's clear." Callum smiled in relief. Looking at each other they slowly made their way back up the stairs. Testing the door with the broken key once more, just for reassurance, they then continued up to the top floor. With the same caution and stealth they turned the handle to apartment number "100". Scanning each room before entering, they quickly found another empty apartment.

"Cal, look!" Amber called as Callum checked the bathroom. As he entered the living room, Amber was heading through a pair of elegant looking doors onto a balcony. Following her, they stepped out into the fresh air and closed their eyes as the warmth of the sunlight on their skin was complimented by a gentle breeze. Taking a look around they had a perfect vantage point, the position of the apartment and the height of the balcony meant they could see every other building in The Hawthorns and a clear view straight down the only road leading to and from the estate. Luckily for them, the coast was clear. Nothing moved except for the leaves of the trees and the clouds up above. The couple savoured the moment of peace, basking in the sunshine and feeling grateful that they'd survived the night. They had to keep reminding themselves that although their fort was peaceful and quaint, there were still hideous, flesh-hungry, dangerous monsters beyond the bushes at the end of that road. Their sense of security and separation from the rest of the city had left them acting casual and relaxed, it was only their gut instincts and flashes of blood soaked teeth that kept them vigilant.

Then, their calmness was shattered. A hissing sound crackled and clicked from inside. Taking them by surprise, Callum and Amber swung around, weapons at the ready. Scanning the room they tiptoed back inside and made their way to the source of the noise. An old fashioned radio spluttered and popped in the corner of the living room. After chuckling to herself nervously, Amber moved to switch it off.

"Wait!" Callum ordered. Beneath the broken noise, Callum heard something… moving closer, he stepped around Amber and rested his knives on the table beside the radio. Having not heard anything except the distorted fuzz, Amber looked on curiously as Callum began turning the dials on the front of the radio as if trying to tune in his favourite station.

Twisting the radio controls back and forward, the static hissed and cracked for a while and then, through the broken clatter they heard a voice…

"Help me…"


	2. What's Your Emergency?

"What?" Callum twisted the dials a little more until the crackling noise dimmed. "Hello? Can you hear us?" They both listened eagerly but only silence responded. "Hello?" He repeated before frantically examining the radio for a second and then flicked a switch on the side. "Hello? Can you hear me?" For a moment there was nothing and then the voice returned.

"Please, help me!" It was a young voice, soft and child-like, frightened. Callum didn't know whether he could be heard at the other end, but he responded anyway.

"This is Callum Valentine; I'm here with Amber Redfield… We're at an estate in Athens, Georgia. The Hawthorns." He paused for a second but after not getting a reply; he continued desperately hoping his message was being heard. "Who is this? Where are you?" Realising his questions weren't getting through; Callum slumped back from the radio and sighed. Placing a one hand on Callum's shoulder and the other to her mouth she mumbled.

"What now? We can't just leave them out there…" She asked as emotions built inside her, a tear formed in the corner of her eye.

"I don't know. We can't just go roaming the streets in hope that we'll find a child wandering about. We don't even know where they a-" As if the child at the other end had now heard him, it replied.

"I'm scared! I'm at the Sherriff's office in Athens-Clarke! 325 East Washington Street! Please, help me!" Callum bolted up right and a smile beamed over Amber's face. Quickly they turned and routed through the draws and cabinets around the house. Finding a map of the city their excitement distracted them from their fear from what was roaming outside. Dashing to the dining table, they spread the map and searched for signs of where they were. As Callum's eyes darted across the page trying not to miss a giveaway off where the Hawthorns was.

"East Washington!" Amber squealed with happiness as she pointed their destination out to Callum.

"Right, so if we came in from the West, we turned up here… and then…" Between yesterday's shocks and tiredness he couldn't remember which route they'd taken but at least now he had a rough idea of where they should be. "Got it!" Straight down Hawthorne Avenue down a private road laid The Hawthorns. "So, if we go to the end here, down Prince Ave, continue to North Jackson Street then turn right, it's the…" He counted the squares on the map. "Second building on the left." He stepped back and studied his planned route. Amber nodded and began to roll up her sleeves ready for the adventure. Noticing her energy lifting, Callum turned to her. "No!"

"What?" She asked, slightly taken aback by his sudden outburst. He looked at her and said in a stern voice.

"You can't come!" Disobedience flickered in her eyes; she hated being told 'no'. "It's dangerous out there! I can't risk you getting hurt." His eyes however were filled with love for his friend, when Amber saw this she backed down and nodded.

"I guess you'll need the extra space on your bike for the kid anyway…" She said folding the map up and putting it into his pocket. "Besides, you'll need someone to let you back in when you get back!" She didn't even contemplate the possibility that he might not make it back. She knew he was tough enough to hold his own, but he was also smart enough to know when to retreat. He always played the role of the Hero, but if things got too risky, he wouldn't just hand himself over to death and leave Amber to fend for herself. Callum smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"Stay here; look out on the balcony, when I return just run down and let me in. Do not open that door for anybody other than me!" The tone in his voice became a lot darker; she knew that he was serious. After a quick hug, Callum turned and headed for his motorcycle.

"Be careful!" Amber called to him as the door to the apartment closed behind him. Feeling a sudden sense of loneliness, she looked around the empty room and tugged at the sleeves of her favourite jumper. Stepping out onto the balcony, she squinted in the midday sun as she watched Callum speed off on his rescue mission.

* * *

In the Sheriff's office, Kaira Edwards had locked herself in the bathroom with nothing but the Sheriff's handheld transceiver.

Kaira was the twelve year old daughter of Sheriff James Edwards. She was of average height, her blonde hair tied in pigtails and her piercing blue eyes glistened under the fluorescent bulbs in her charming surroundings. Dressed in a blue and white check patterned school dress, she sat atop the closed lid of her glamorous throne with the transceiver held tightly to her chest and tears streaming down her pale cheeks. Frilly white socks and black ballet slippers dressed the ends of her long, skinny legs. Being the Sheriff's daughter, Kaira was brought up well; she'd been well educated and taught to respect others always being told "treat others how you expect to be treated." She was friendly, polite and had always been 'daddy's little princess'.

She had been in an American History class at school the day before when her father had entered the classroom with a sorrowful look on his face and after a few hushed words with the teacher, Kaira was dismissed from class. Outside the classroom, James had told his daughter that her mother and two brothers had been in an accident. After an emotional embrace, he comforted his daughter to the car outside. James knew what was going on, his wife and children hadn't been in an accident, they'd been attacked and had become infected with the virus but he wasn't about to enforce that harsh image onto his daughter. It wasn't long before Kaira was subjected to comparable images. As they slowed into the back a traffic jam, the Sheriff became uncharacteristically agitated, honking the car horn and shouting at the drivers ahead as if that would cause the traffic to suddenly be free to move. That's when it began, people screamed as they left their vehicles and ran back past Kaira and her father, terrified expressions blurring by the window sent fear shivering down the young girls spine.

"Daddy?" She croaked as she gripped onto his hand. James looked through the screeching stampede and saw that the 'accident' that had killed half of his family was heading their way. Between the abandoned cars, Walkers were stumbling through, knocking into each other, bumping into open doors, breaking off wing mirrors and sinking their teeth into any unfortunate soul who wasn't fast enough to escape.

"Hold on tight sweetheart!" James shifted gears, checked his mirrors and slammed his foot down. Reversing away from the horde of murderous cannibals, he spun the car around as Kaira clung to her seat, her eyes catching a glimpse of the Walkers heading her way. As James flicked the gears, he spun the wheel and they raced around the corners.

Pulling up to the Sheriff station, James slung open his door, grabbed his shotgun and rushed to help his daughter from the car. As they entered the office, they barricaded the doors with a big wooden desk and as James stayed with his eyes glued on the doors and windows, he instructed his daughter on how to work his transceiver and call for help. By the time the sun had set, they'd still heard nothing from the speaker as they flicked through various channels. Kaira was beginning to get tired and so she'd decided to take a nap in the overnight holding cell, after failing to stay asleep for more than half an hour she decided to get up and check on her father. As she walked back into the office, she noticed James had fallen asleep at his desk, shotgun resting by his leg and radio still held in his hand. Smiling at the sight of her father's peaceful slumber, she decided she'd get a glass of water and head back to the bed. Making her way over to the water fountain she held her glass beneath the tap and watched as the water arched into her glass.  
A second later, the glass was shattered on the ground accompanied by a chilling scream which startled James to his feet. As she lifted her head from the fountain, Kaira had looked to the window, two glowing grey eyes stared back at her. Blood soaked teeth snarled as the Walker spotted the young girl on the other side of the glass. With the scream, more passing Walkers had been attracted to the building and within sixty seconds, the office was surrounded by a large horde of hungry stomachs.

"Kaira, come here…" Her father ordered quietly, his eyes fixed on the windows once more as the shotgun found its way into his hold once more. He aimed the barrel of his gun at the window and froze. If he shot now, the window would smash and the Walkers would be in, he needed to be smart. Using his brain, he quickly created a plan. If he could make it out of the front doors, he could try and draw the zombies away from the building insuring his daughters safety, he could lose the feeders as he ran round the block and get back inside to safety.

"Daddy!" Kaira whispered as she clung to her father's side, Walkers banging against the windows. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and lowered the gun. Crouching down to her height, he took her by the shoulders and looked directly to her eyes.

"Kaira, daddy's going to go on an errand okay?" She knew from the tone in his voice that he was leaving her, her eyes began to well up with tears. "Take this and go hide!" He passed her the transceiver from the desk. "Keep calling for help, tell them where we are! Tell them they need to come and help us!" As he spoke he was scribbling down the office address on a post-it note. "Whatever you do, whatever you see or hear, do NOT leave this place until somebody comes to help you! Understand?" Kaira nodded as she wiped tears from her cheek. James gave her a loving embrace and kissed her head as he pulled her close. His emotions began to show as he realised the danger in his plan, but if he didn't get these Walkers away from here, they could both be dead soon. Wiping a single tear from his eye, he kissed her forehead once more and rose to his feet, giving her a gentle push he grabbed his shotgun. "Go!" As she ran into the bathroom, he called out to her. "Kaira, I love you!" Breath shuddered from his lungs as he heard her lock the door. Looking around at the gang of flesh thirsty eyes glaring at him through the office windows, he tried to shake away his fear and carefully pulled the desk away from the door, just enough for him to squeeze through.

"If you're hungry you're going to have to work for your food!" He shouted as he got to the street. The Walkers hearing the noise and smelling the fresh smell of meat turned on him instantly and within seconds, the chase was on. James Edwards watched as one by one the Walkers clumsily stepped towards him. Making sure they were all giving him their attention and not the office he'd left his daughter in, he closed his eyes for a second in prayer and then sprinted off down the road with the Walkers in tow.

As the sun rose the next day, Kaira lifted her head from the cold tiled wall and yawned. As her eyes came into focus, so did the memories of last night. Carefully she made her way to the bathroom door and slowly turned the lock. Poking her head around the door, she searched the room but her father wasn't there. At first she was drenched with worry but after a second her heart relaxed as hope suggested he just wasn't back yet. Swinging the door fully open she yelped. A Walker stood aimlessly looking around the room; it must've forced its way through the small gap in the door her father had left as he exited. As it noticed Kaira, its eyes flickered with some form of life and with a groan it reached out its arms and headed straight for the young girl. Grabbing the door handle, Kaira pulled it closed as she backed into the bathroom, instantly turning the lock again. Fumbling with the handle and the lock, she dropped the transceiver on the hard, cold floor. As the Walker banged against the door violently, trying to get at its next meal, Kaira moved backwards. As fear began to overcome her, she grabbed for the hand held radio and sitting back on the toilet seat she followed her father's instructions and called out for help. Over and over she begged for someone to come to help her, reciting the address she'd memorised from the post-it.

"Help me…!" She pleaded again and again. Due to the panic in her heartbeat and lack of a clock, she hadn't noticed that she'd been sat in there for over three hours. She'd even missed the fact her butt was starting to ache against the cold, plastic seat of the toilet she was sitting on. As if on auto-pilot she just kept repeating the same phrases into the transceiver. It was only when the scratching and banging on the door stopped that she broke out of her self-inflicted trance. She listened as a heavy thud hit the floor outside the door and then silence.

"Hello?" A voice on the other side made Kaira's eyes widen and a smile tried to force itself onto her lips. "Is somebody in there?" It was a man's voice, not her father's, but it was kind and gentle, not there to hurt her, and if he wasn't going to hurt her, he was there to help. She leapt from the toilet seat and charged to open the locked door. Pushing the handle she found that she still couldn't get out. "Oh! Hold up a second..." The man outside pushed the slumped corpse out from the way of the door and opened it to the sight of Kaira beaming at him. She ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist as happiness, relief and a new sense of safety made her smile from ear to ear.

Callum was stood there with his wrench gripped tightly, blood splatter across his overalls, some dried and some still quite fresh. He placed his other hand on the young girls head, trying to comfort her; he hadn't had much experience with children. After a minute had passed they parted their hug and looked at each other.

"You okay kid?" He asked as her dazzling blue eyes grinned back at him. She nodded then forgetting how informal their situation was, she remembered the manners that she'd been taught. Holding out her hand, she introduced herself.

"I'm Kaira. Kaira Edwards. Pleased to meet you, sir." She said as her smile continued. Callum was slightly taken aback by her politeness but under the current circumstances, it was quite refreshing to meet someone so gracious and so he shook her hand and introduced himself too. After a brief story of what had happened, Callum sighed, he knew that if Kaira's father was not back yet, he probably wasn't going to be alive, but to spare the child's feelings, Cal decided that they'd leave him a note to say where they'd gone, just in case.

"Is this what you used to call us?" He asked Kaira as he noticed the hand held she was holding. Nodding again she passed it to him.

"But I think it's broken!" She said disappointedly. "I dropped it and now there's no sound coming from the speaker." She explained. Callum looked it over, tested it and then decided he'd still take it with them, it may have its uses yet. After scribbling a message, including The Hawthorns' address on a large sheet of paper and pinning it to the wall next to a map of the city, Callum took hold of Kaira's hand and headed to the door. Then he stopped in his tracks as he spotted something, something that could come in very useful. Being the Sheriff's office, it had a small collection of weapons; pistols, shotguns, boxes of ammunition, knives, pepper spray and TASERs displayed neatly in a glass cabinet. Obviously, the arsenal was only for the use of the Sheriff and his officers, but Callum was sure that they wouldn't mind in this case. He loaded as much as he could into a nearby black bag and continued out of the door without a word. Lifting Kaira onto the back on his bike, he warned her to wrap her arms around him and hold on tight before they set off on their way back to The Hawthorns.

* * *

That evening, as the sun set, introductions and stories had finished and they'd each had a cold shower, Amber and Kaira sat on the sofa of number 98 and allowed each other braid their hair, forgetting the world outside once more. Callum sat at the dining table with his tool box, the Sheriff's broken transceiver and the old fashioned radio they'd brought down from the apartment upstairs. He figured that since one had a working speaker and the other worked to send messages that if he could link them somehow they'd be able to broadcast properly and receive replies of any other survivors out there. Being a mechanic, he usually worked on vehicles and larger home appliances but he had fixed the odd radio or games console for friends and so he seemed to know what he was doing. As he got stuck in, a plan for the future began to form in his head. A plan to rebuild lives, a plan to survive.

"Yes!" He cheered triumphantly as he got the radio to switch back on. He'd linked the two together with wires and cables going from one to the other. Amber and Kaira jumped up from their seats and moved over to the chairs around the table, waiting excitedly to see if it would work both ways. He twisted the dials on the front of the old radio and set it at the frequency of '500 kHz" he then lifted the hand-held, turn the dials on the top and then pressed down the button on the side. Taking a deep breath he began to talk.

* * *

"This is Callum Valentine broadcasting on the emergency frequency. Is anybody out there? We've found a sanctuary, untouched by the infection, safe. There's still food, running water, soft beds… enough room for many more survivors. We're located at The Hawthorns, just off Hawthorne Avenue in Athens-Clarke, Georgia… If you're out there, we will help you, there is hope…"


	3. Meet The Neighbours

Five days had passed since they'd sent out the first broadcast from The Hawthorns. Every day, twice a day, they repeated the message and waited for any kind of response. Sometimes they slumped away discouraged from believing there were any others still alive out there, others they just sat and stared hoping into the sunset. By now they'd searched the whole block of apartments and had started working on the next building. They had scavenged any food from other fridges and cupboards that was still edible and stored it upstairs in "100". They'd found clothes that fit them and stocked up their wardrobes. It was a home from home.

* * *

It was a Wednesday evening. As the sun began to lower behind the tree line which bordered the entrance road, Amber sat on the balcony upstairs and flicked through the pages of a book she'd found. Kaira was down in 98 with Callum. He was teaching her how to play card games as they listened to the soft hissing from the radio speaker, she was much better at it than he'd expected and he was slightly annoyed that she'd beaten him a few times.

"Beginners luck!" He snuffed as she showed him her hand of cards; she chuckled and collected her coins from the centre of the table. Since he didn't think there was any more use for currency, he'd decided it was harmless to share it between them for the sole purpose of betting on a game of "snap!" or "chase the ace". Unfortunately for him, his pile of coins was diminishing quickly.

"Cal!" Amber's voice carried down through the open window and alarmed both of them. Throwing down the deck of cards, they jumped to their feet and raced upstairs. Slamming through the door, they darted through the hallway towards the living room and out onto the balcony where Amber was now on her feet too squinting down the road as the lowering sun distorted her vision. As they shaded their eyes with their hands, they spotted something moving down the road towards them. Beneath the shadows of the trees and the contrast of the sunlight in their eyes they found it difficult to make out. Callum stepped inside and grabbed a pistol from the black bag they'd stored there in case of moments like this. Waiting patiently for their view to clear, the sun shimmered from the object. As is got closer, they watched as a black van slowly moved towards them, kicking up dust behind it.

"Oh my G..." Amber began as a grin settled into her eyes. Callum spun around and headed for the door.

"Wait here!" He commanded as he left the girls on the balcony and headed back to the radio. Picking up the transceiver he spat out another demand. "Hey, you in the black van… if you can hear me… stop the vehicle!" He stretched his neck to look out of the window. The van stopped dead in its tracks as it waited for further instructions. "No way!" Callum chuckled, surprised that his broadcast was being heard. "I mean, okay… step out of the van!" He watched as the door of the vehicle slowly opened and a figure stepped out. Then to Callum's surprise, the other door opened and another person exited the vehicle. A moment later and Amber gasped as she witnessed the back doors of the van swing open and three more people emerged onto the street. Callum smiled, they'd not only found a survivor, they'd found five of them. "How many are you hiding in there?" He giggled down the radio. The figure on the driver's side signalled that there was nobody else inside the van. Once Callum had decided they weren't here to bring Walkers into The Hawthorns he nodded and pressed the side button once more. "Okay, I'll come down and open the gates!" The strangers jumped back into their van as Callum called up to Amber and Kaira.

A minute later and they'd run down to the front of the building and were unlocking the chained padlocks they'd fitted to the gates. As the van approached, they opened automatically and allowed them entrance. The blacked out windows hid the strangers from view as they drove into the compound and once the tail end was clear of the gates, they closed themselves and were refitted with the chains. Cal, Amber and Kaira grouped together as they watched the black van swing into one of the many vacant parking spots. Again, the doors all hinged open and the five new comers hopped out. The two in the front, one male one female, both wore what resembled a black, military uniform and were equipped with rifles. They both embodied strength and power in their posture and features and the male had a certain authority in his eyes whilst his female companion hid her stare behind a pair of sunglasses. The three exiting the back of the vehicle looked more like regular civilians from the look of their clothing, two more males and another female. One guy's sporty physique filled out an 'Atlanta Falcons' jacket and some stylised jeans ripped in various places, the other, slightly on the slimmer side, wore a black polo shirt and matching skinny jeans, his most prominent feature was the white-blonde hair crowning his head with a falling quiff. The female donned a very Western look. Matching brunette pigtails tickled her shoulders; a red and white check shirt was tied in a knot around her stomach revealing her tanned and toned abdomen which disappeared into a pair of frayed denim shorts. She even sported some cowboy boots and fanned herself in the heat with a straw hat. For a second it was silent as they all checked each other out, then the male driver stepped forward.

"The name's Ethan." He said bowing his head as a greeting. He motioned over to the shaded female. "My partner over there is Alyssa." She too nodded her head as she chewed wildly on her gum. Turning to the others he continued. "Over there you've got Samson, Jacob and Mia." They nodded, waved and smiled respectively. Jacob had taken off his football jacket and was now wearing a white vest with a low neckline that showed off his muscular pectoral muscles. He'd already caught a glimpse of Amber and decided he wanted to show off to her. Even when the rest of the world is in turmoil, you can leave it to the jocks to still be thinking with their genitals.

"Hey." Callum replied. "So, you heard my broadcast? I can't believe it actually works." Then he remembered they still didn't actually know him. "I'm Callum, this is Amber and Kaira." He moved to the side so he wasn't blocking anybody from view.

"So, you say this place is untouched?" Alyssa moved into the circle and removed her sun-glasses; her green eyes glistened in the sun as her face scrunched up in under the sudden exposure to the light. Callum nodded but this time Amber replied.

"Apart from the fact everybody has left, we've not seen a Walker round here since we arrived a week ago. It seems secluded enough and apart from these gates, there are locks at each entrance door and another lock on the door to each apartment." The strangers seemed surprised and pleased that they'd actually found somewhere that seemed secure.

"We've headed from Texas." Explained Ethan, as if their strong accent hadn't already given that away. "We heard your broadcast a couple days ago, with the promise of such a safe house as this we thought we'd check it out; we never thought we'd actually find it still intact." Alyssa decided to continue their story.

"We're Marines." She said, obviously referring to herself and Ethan. "Or we were, once the infection began to spread we headed home to New Orleans to check on our family, but we were too late. Nothing but scenes of destruction and murder lined the streets, even the Walkers had moved on to new grounds. So, after hearing your broadcast, we skipped town, we found Calamity Jane over there hiding in an abandoned gas station we'd used to fill up."

"It's Mia!" Snapped the cowgirl, she stomped forward to explain her side of the story. "I work…worked at a bar, this was basically our uniform." She turned to Amber and explained herself further. "You know how it is, wear less clothing, and make more money." Amber just nodded and smiled, as a dancer she'd definitely been in that situation before.

"I'd definitely pay more for that!" Jacob chortled as he nudged Sam waiting for a response. Alyssa rolled her eyes and snuffed as Mia shot him a venomous look. Ethan ignored the comment and continued the story of their road trip.

"We picked up Samson as we passed by Columbus, he'd found his way into a bit of a situation at a shopping mall. He'd been pursued by a small group of Feeders all night and as we went in to find something to snack on, he came rolling out of the overhead air duct. Almost landed right on top of me." Ethan jested in a friendly way. Once again, Jacob decided to comment, this time taking a dig at Sam's sexuality. He was quiet, sensitive and liked to look after his appearance and to the captain of the college soccer team; this obviously meant he was gay.

"We should've left this clown where we found him." Mia quipped towards Jacob as she placed a caring hand on Sam's shoulder. "Don't worry Hun, I think you're a sweetheart." She said to the teenager.

"Where was that? The zoo?" Kaira piped up cheekily. Her innocent comment set the group into a fit of laughter, all except Jacob who leant against the van and sulked as the others laughed at his expense.

"No, he was lucky actually, we almost ran him down as he ran out into the road in front of his college, and he practically begged us to save him, almost ended up in tears before we opened the doors." Ethan said; having another quip at the cocky teen. Callum and Amber shared their story with the others and went on to explain how they'd come to find Kaira. After a while the conversation moved on to tales from before the Outbreak began.

* * *

As the sun settled behind the horizon, they decided to move inside, after cleaning up and finding more comfortable clothes they all sat together in 98, Callum offered out a few beer bottles; he even allowed Kaira to have a small beer topped with soda. Amber looked around the room and smiled, this was nice, a group of strangers…survivors all joking and laughing together, even Jacob joined in once he'd gotten over his sulk.

"So what's eating you kid?" She asked Sam who sat behind her, they both sniggered at her poor choice of words but he just shrugged.

"Nothing much." He replied.

"If it's about what Jacob said earlier, don't worry about it… nobody cares whether you are or not. Trust me; there are far more important things to be worrying about at the moment. Besides," he looked at her and smiled. "I'm a dancer; I know plenty of guys who would eat you up!" His pale cheeks flushed red and Amber gave him a cheeky wink. He knew that every word she'd said was true, there were cannibalistic monsters outside, it wasn't going to matter which gender he preferred, yet still, he was a young kid going through something he hadn't yet come to terms with, he was allowed to think it over.

"Two pair!" Jacob said confidently at Mia who peered over the top of her cards. Callum, Ethan and Alyssa waited intensely after they'd folded. Mia took a deep breath and looked disappointed as she placed down her cards.

"Full House!" She grinned, the table roared at her win and she collected her pennies from the centre of the table whilst Jacob shook his head in disbelief. As the night moved on, Amber carried a sleeping Kaira into their shared bedroom. They'd moved a guest bed into the room so that neither of them would have to sleep in a separate apartment.

"I think I'm going to hit the hay too, sweet dreams guys!" She said as she left the room. After they'd all wished her their 'good night blessings', Ethan waited a moment before nudging Callum.

"So, you and Amber are an item huh?" He grinned. Callum just shook his head.

"No, we've been best of friends since we were younger; we're kind of… family." Hearing that amber was single, Jacob's groin ruled over his brain.

"Score!" He whispered before receiving a gentle slap around the back of the head from Mia. As the clock drifted forward, Callum, acting as host, showed each of them to an apartment they could use as their own. Ethan and Alyssa decided they'd take 100, their training meant they'd be useful as lookouts with the balcony view. Mia decided that she'd share a bedroom in the apartment opposite 100 with Sam and Jacob. She wasn't ecstatic about having to share with two guys, but she wasn't about to head down and sleep on the ground floor alone. Once they'd all chosen their beds, they tucked themselves up neatly and one by one dozed off into a peaceful slumber. For the new arrivals, it'd been the first proper night's sleep they'd had since the Walkers had arrived in their hometowns.

* * *

Meanwhile, over in the centre of town, a dusty red pick-up truck weaved its way in and out of all the abandoned vehicles in the streets. The two men inside argued over which way up their map should be. Their headlights caught litter blowing across the street and spread creepy shadows across the road before them. Their radio spat out hillbilly tunes as the driver spat out of the window whilst his passenger belched loudly, crushed a beer can and tossed it out of the window.

"I tell ya, Bryar, we shouldn't have turned off yet!" The passenger said as he traced his finger along the map.

"Then where the hell are we Otis?" The driver snapped back, becoming more and more agitated as they lost themselves further into the city. Otis read the map as best he could and decided that if he'd followed their route correctly they must be in…

"Aaat…. Hens." He pronounced slowly. "Hey, Bryar, I think we be in At Hens."

"At Hens?" Bryar quizzed. "Never heard of the place… Lemme see that!" He said snatching the map from his brother, keeping one eye on the road. "Athens, you idiot!" He snarled as he forced the map back onto Otis.

"Athens?" His eyes focused on the word once more and he chortled. "Oh yeah! Hey, Bryar, it says Athens!" Bryar paid him no attention and just kept sweeping through the streets. "I'm such a doofus!" Otis snorted to himself quietly.

"Hush up!" Bryar slammed his foot on the break as he heard something through the radio. Twisting the knobs gently, he tuned it in so he could hear it clearly.

"This is Callum Valentine broadcasting on the emergency frequency. Is anybody out there? We've found a sanctuary, untouched by the infection, safe. There's still food, running water, soft beds… enough room for many more survivors. We're located at The Hawthorns, just off Hawthorne Avenue in Athens-Clarke, Georgia… If you're out there, we will help you, there is hope…"

"You hear that Bryar? Other peoples are still alive. With food and water and beds and stuff!" The excitement in Otis' voice rose. "We can go stay safe with them." Bryar stayed quiet for a while and then a dark grin appeared on his face.

"Or we could take it all for ourselves." He said in a sinister tone. The look on Otis' face changed as he watched his brother silently plotting.

"What? We could just share it Bry-"

"Don't worry Otis, I've got a plan." As he shifted back into gear, he gently pressed down the gas pedal and the truck crawled down the street into darkness as the moon glared down from in-between the clouds above.


	4. The School Run

The following dawn, Amber was awoken by a vigorous shaking as the sun began to rise.

"Amber, wake up! Amber!" Kaira stood over her with a sense of urgency in her voice. Sitting up slowly and rubbing her eyes until they adjusted to the orange glow climbing in from behind the window ledge, Amber queried about the interruption.

"What's wrong Kai?" She croaked.

"Somebody's in the other room." Amber could tell from the look in her eyes that she wasn't talking about Callum. A sudden sense of panic filled the room, Amber grabbed for the baseball bat she liked to keep beside the bed. As she cracked open the door and peered out she saw no movement, then she was frightened by the sound of a voice.

"Is anybody there? Hello? We need your help!" The radio sputtered. After Amber realised that it was coming from the radio, she swung open the door and darted into Callum's room.

"Cal! Get up!" She yelled ripping the duvet from him. She smirked and turned away, Kaira gasped and then giggled as Amber covered the young girls' eyes…after all, it was morning and Callum liked to sleep naked.

"What's wro-" Callum opened his eyes slowly and after noticing he was exposed, he grabbed for the duvet and wrapped it over him. "Hey, what's wrong?" He coughed giving Amber a stern look.

"The radio! Somebody's calling!" She said, throwing him a pair of jeans before exiting the room, taking a giggling Kaira with her. Callum entered the living room, moments later, pulling a tight white T-Shirt down over his six-pack. "Nice dreams?" Amber prodded to a friendly glare in return. As he sat down at the table he picked up the transceiver.

"Hello. Are you there? We can he-" He was cut up by the other end.

"YES! Hello! We're here!" Said a male in a panicked sounding voice. "We're stuck…we need help!"

"Okay, okay, calm down…where are you?" Callum asked.

"I don't know, I think we're in Athens… we're at a ... a school. Um…" The voice paused and shuffling could be heard from the other side. "Clarke Central High School." Callum lifted his head and watched as Amber circled a red ring on the City map they'd hung on the wall.

"Okay, we got you… just sit tight and we'll be there soon." As he put the radio down, he checked the markings on the map and checked the route.

"Thank you! Thank you! We're in the head's office!" Finished the voice on the radio.

"Amber, go get Ethan!" Callum asked as he scribbled the quickest path onto the map. By the time he'd worked out the best route, the red head was back with Ethan and Alyssa, shortly followed by Mia, Jacob and Sam, all curious as to what was happening. Once everybody was filled in on the situation Ethan ran back upstairs to collect their weapons and extra bullets.

"I'm coming too!" Amber volunteered to a concerned look from Callum.

"No, you ca-" He began.

"Cal! I'm not just going to sit around here all the time and be useless! I'm coming to help! I've been hunting with my father… I know how to use one of those!" She said looking over as Ethan and Alyssa came back in the room holding a rifle and a bag full of guns and dressed back in their black uniform. Callum knew he wasn't going to win this one, she was determined to help and this time they had help from two ex-marines. Spotting the defeat on her face, she smiled as felt the cold metal of the pistol Ethan had passed to her. Jacob stepped forward, eager just to hold a gun.

"I'm coming t-"

"Not this time junior!" Alyssa put out her hand to stop him advancing.

"What? But! I… she!" He fumbled over his words in protest. Mia just patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry sugar, you can hold fort with me." She looked over to Sam. "I hope you'll help me keep this guy under control." He just blushed a little and looked to the floor.

"That's settled then! Give us a second and we'll be on our way." Callum said, as he and Amber left to get changed into suitable clothing. As they came back in, it was silent for a moment then Amber knelt besides Kaira and looked her in the eyes.

"You be good now okay, kid?" She smiled. "Look after these guys for me and make sure Jake doesn't get into any trouble!" Kaira nodded at her new responsibility and moved over to hold Mia's hand.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Ethan cocked his gun and looked to Callum. Somehow he'd become leader of the group and so he set them on their way down to the car park where they all loaded into the black van, Jacob had come down to help with the gates and locked them swiftly after the vehicle had passed through.

"Good luck." He grumbled as they sped off down the road leaving him to babysit.

* * *

Outside the school, an overturned yellow bus lay across the steps that led up to the entrance. Other cars had collided around it during the chaos that had taken place as the panic began. The schools flag still blew lazily in the wind and the clock ticked quietly. As Ethan pulled the van up at the side of the road, they looked around for any signs of movement and after finding the coast clear; they jumped out of the van quickly. Speaking in a low voice they crept up the steps and cautiously peeked around the bus, still nothing. As they pushed open the big heavy doors they tread down the corridor as their footsteps echoed around the school. Checking the map hanging by the empty reception desk, they pinpointed the headmaster's office and headed towards the North East side of the school.

"Typical, the headmaster is always the most inconvenient." Amber whispered as they moved along. Lockers lined the walls, some swung open freely. Sheets of paper spread across the halls and crunched under their feet. Following the trained marines, Callum and Amber felt like they were in a movie as they poked their heads around corners and signalled to each other with hand gestures. Their eyes checked the classrooms they passed to make sure they were safe and as they turned another corner they saw a placard hanging on the wall which read 'Mr William Ashford – Headmaster'.

The four of them looked at each other and pressed their backs against the walls before Ethan tapped his knuckles against the wooden door.

"Hello? We're coming in… its okay; we're here to help you!" He said gently as his hand turned the door knob.

"What the..?" Alyssa rolled her eyes as they opened the door to an empty office.

"They said they were in here…" Callum stated as he stepped in and looked around.

"They've been here, alright." Amber said as she flicked the switch on a radio that was humming quietly."

"What now?" Callum tucked his gun down the back of his jeans and ran his hand through his hair.

"They may still be around." Ethan said as he studied another map of the school hanging on the headmaster's wall. "If we split up, we have more chance of finding them."

"Split up?" Amber and Callum spat out in unison. Alyssa smiled as she popped a stick of gum in her mouth.

"Don't worry kids, we'll look after you. Cal, you stick with Ethan, I'll keep an eye on Amber." She said organising the teams. Nobody seemed to oppose and so they looked to Ethan who was pointing along the map.

"You two head this way and round here…" His fingers traced the path on the map. "Me and Callum can go up and around the West wing and circle back up this way. We'll all rendezvous back here." His fingers poked at the map where it read 'Reception'.

"Got it." Alyssa confirmed. The other two just looked confused and bewildered but nodded and agreed to the plan. As Alyssa smacked her gum between her teeth, the four of them exited the office and went their separate ways.

* * *

As they entered the gym hall, Amber decided to break the silence.

"So, is there any romance between you and Ethan?" Alyssa didn't reply, she didn't even respond, just kept walking across the hall with her rifle clasped in her grip and her eyes focussed. "Okay, I get it; you don't want to talk about it…" They both ducked under the tennis net and continued in silence. As they paced passed the showers of the changing rooms Amber tried for conversation again. "How long have you been a Marine? I mean were you a Ma-"

"Enough already, do you ever stop for breath?" Alyssa snapped turning her attention to the fiery-haired companion. "Geez, I should've taken Callum with me…" She paused when she saw Amber's eyes widen in shock. Realising she'd been a little harsh; she knew Amber probably wasn't used to walking around with guns in a world overrun with flesh eating zombies. She soon learnt that it wasn't the tone in which she'd spoken to her that had stunned Amber. As the Marine opened her mouth to apologise for her outburst, she felt a cold metal object pushed into the back of her neck. "Damn it!" She muttered, knowing instantly it was the double-barrel of a shotgun.

"Damn it indeed, missy!" Bryar chuckled as he nudged the back of her head with the gun. They'd been hidden behind a shower curtain and once the girls' attention was distracted, he'd crept out behind them. Amber froze in fear and looked back to Alyssa's pissed off expression. "Grab that one!" He ordered before Otis plodded over and clumsily took her by the shoulders.

"Oops… sorry miss." He said as he accidentally got his thumb stuck in her hair.

"Don't apologise, you idiot!" Bryar cringed.

"I guess you're the low-lives that called for help, huh?" Alyssa said with no fear in her voice.

"You liked my acting?" He changed his voice to a whimper and continued. "Help me! Help me! I'm so afraid!" He mocked before bursting into a fit of laughter, followed by a guffaw from Otis.

"You should win an Oscar for that." Alyssa jested. She saw the fright in Amber's eyes and decided to try and diffuse the situation as soon as possible. "Don't worry kid, this will all be over soon." She said in a comforting voice.

"Oh really?" Asked Bryar as he pushed down on Alyssa's shoulders prompting her to get to her knees. Otis followed by example and placed Amber down beside the Marine. "I'll take that!" Bryar added as he lifted the rifle from Alyssa's grip. Luckily, the T-Shirt Amber had chosen was long enough to conceal the pistol she had tucked into her belt.

"So, what do you clowns want?" Alyssa kept on talking, although they were both seemingly captured by the rednecks, the tone of her voice made it look like she had control.

"That depends on what you're offering!" Bryar replied. Otis snorted again.

"Yeah, good one Bryar! What they offering?"

"For Christ's sake Otis! Now they know my name!" He shouted not realising his own error.

"Hey, now they know my name too!" Otis clearly didn't see the harm in name swapping.

"Nice to meet you Bryar…" Alyssa grinned. "…Otis." As a Marine, she knew that even the smallest amount of useless details gave them the upper hand. Otis smiled and waved before Bryar smacked his hand away.

"Enough chit-chat. Clearly neither of you is the guy on the radio… so where is he?" He asked growing impatient. He realised that Alyssa wasn't going to give them anything and so he decided to use Amber. He placed his shotgun to her head as a tear dripped down her cheek. "You know don'tcha lil lady?" He said as he grinned at her down the barrel of the gun.

"Don't tell them anything, sweetheart." Alyssa threw her words out and was met with the back of Bryar's hand.

"You shut up!" He screamed as Amber watched helpless.

"Bryar, momma told us never to hit a lady." Otis pleaded. Bryar just grinned some more, the gaps where his teeth were missing made him even more vulgar.

"Oh, this aint no lady Otis!" He said. "A lady wouldn't do this!" He said as he slowly unzipped his jeans. As he reached inside Amber panicked.

"No! Stop!" She begged. But by now he already had his penis in his grubby palm.

"Oh don't worry Red, you're next!" He bragged.

"I wouldn't bring that any closer." Alyssa snarled as she wiped blood from her lip. "I may not be a lady," she said. "But I sure as hell aint an animal!" Otis flew into a giggling fit whilst laughing out his words.

"Ha…Bryar… She thinks you make mouth love to dem pigs back home!" Bryar glared at him and he was silent instantly. Alyssa grinned at her accusation.

"Think you're in a comedy show?" Bryar asked, sliding his penis back into his pants and pulling up his zip, more embarrassed than he would allow them to see. He bent down in front of her and wiped his mouth with the back of his forearm. "Let's see how funny you think this is…" Before Amber had time to react, he'd grabbed her hair and stuck his tongue down her throat. She beat his chest and tried to push him away but he held her close.

"Yeah… kissing…" Otis said uncomfortably. Alyssa spun herself around swung her heavy boot into the side of his ribs, he tumbled to the ground as Amber wiped her mouth and spat at him in a frenzy. With him down on the ground, Alyssa decided she now had to move quickly, she dived for her rifle, but she wasn't close enough, Bryar kicked out his leg and the gun went spinning across the floor.

"Now that wasn't very nice!" He wheezed as he got to his feet rubbing the spot where she'd kicked him. He stepped forward with anger in his eyes, then something caught his attention and his expression switched. His eyes almost popped out of his head and his jaw dropped. "Otis!" He whimpered. Turning their view to what he'd spotted, the girls leapt to their feet and backed away. Otis was the last to move away as a Walker rounded the lockers. It only had one arm, and its shirt was ripped enough to expose the bone protruding from rotting meat at its shoulder. It limped towards them as one foot dragged behind it along the floor. Alyssa's eyes flicked around the floor for her rifle, but she couldn't seem to spot it.

"Shoot it!" She yelled at Bryar who was frozen in terror, his shotgun clenched so tight his knuckles were turning white. "Now! BRYAR! SHOO-" **_Bang_**. The body collapsed to the ground as blood trickled from the wound in its skull down the plug hole in the closest shower cubicle. All eyes fixed on the deceased for a moment and then to the steaming barrel of the gun in Amber's outstretched hold. She had a proud look in her eyes, she'd fired a gun before, but this was the first time she'd ever shot anything and the adrenaline made her feel alive. Before Bryar and Otis took their eyes from Amber, Alyssa quickly grabbed her rifle that was poking out from under a bench. Spinning around she held the boys in her aim. Amber too switched her attention to the rednecks.

"Drop it!" Alyssa demanded, before Bryar had the chance to place his gun down, a groaning. Their eyes shot to the doors they'd entered through as three more Walkers stumbled into the changing rooms. "Run!" Alyssa began to sprint away from the three sets of gnashing jaws, Amber followed and as the fear overtook him, Bryar was next dragging Otis with him.

"Here!" Amber had spotted another exit and headed down behind the lockers. The four ran through the corridor checking behind them every couple of seconds.

"This way!" Alyssa skidded around a corner and directed them as best they could. Rounding another corner, the four of them froze, guns at the ready but not yet prepared to fire. What blocked their path was a whole horde of Walkers, children. Clearly the Walkers hadn't travelled far from familiar ground and stayed together at the school waiting for fresh meat. Dotted about the horde were more mature figures and from the look of it, teachers.

"Oh my God!" Bryar suddenly felt nauseous as the reality of undead children hit him hard. Their faces covered in blood as they tore apart something small that was in the middle of the horde, quite possibly the local cat that had become an unofficial mascot for the school as it roamed the corridors and waited in the school yard for treats and attention. Upon hearing his voice, a few of the pint sized walkers lifted their heads and readied themselves for another meal. As more and more began to follow, Alyssa raised her rifle and closed her eyes; she knew they weren't fun-loving, innocent children anymore. Opening her eyes, she aimed at the head of the closest Walker; her finger slowly began to pull on the trigger.

"Over here!" Ethan called out from a corridor behind them. With a breath of relief, Alyssa and the others raced towards him. He and Callum had scouted the entire West side of the school and had found nothing, except another exit which now that the main entrance was blocked seemed like a blessing. Growls of hungry walkers chased them down the halls; occasionally one tripped over its own feet and tumbled into the metal lockers causing more noise to echo down after them. Looking back, Amber watched as the children ran awkwardly behind with their lifeless, grey eyes focussed on their food.

Crashing through the fire escape door at the side of the building, the six of them dashed towards their vehicles. As they passed the school bus, they came to a halt. Stood in their path was a single Walker, they all immediately pointed their weapons in his direction. Then as the sound of a gunshot pierced the Walkers skull, Callum noticed something he wished he hadn't. His heart felt like it had been crushed as the Sheriff's badge snapped on the ground and whirled along the pavement towards him. He knew instantly who that Walker was. That poor soul with rotted skin and his brains now leaking onto the sidewalk was Athens' Sheriff, James Edwards…Kaira's father.

Before he could reveal what he'd worked out, Ethan pushed him towards the van. Quickly Alyssa herded Otis into the back of the black van with herself whilst Callum and Ethan jumped in the front. Amber, with her new found courage climbed into the passenger seat of the pick-up truck and as the adrenaline took over her body, she held the gun to his head and hissed at him.

"Follow them!" She wasn't about to be taken hostage again and she wasn't going to let Bryar disappear and get away with what he'd done to her in the changing room. With a pistol aimed at his head and the confusion in the rush of things, Bryar complied without hesitation. The two vehicles dodged abandoned cars and headed back towards their safe house.

* * *

Callum sat in silence, staring out of the window at the blurred streets passing him by, battling with his thoughts over what he knew. How could he tell Kaira that they'd found her father and then killed him? How could he explain that he'd already died trying to save her? Could he tell her?

Would he tell her?


	5. Clean Up On Aisle 9

Bryar crashed over the hood of his truck as Ethan rubbed his knuckles. He took a step forwards and swung his heavy boot into the redneck's ribs.

"Ethan, stop!" Alyssa grabbed her friends arm and pulled him backwards but the Marine ignored her pleas and pulled away from her as he grabbed Bryar by the collar of his shirt. "Ethan!" She yelled again as his fist forced blood from Bryar's split lips.

"That's enough!" Callum pushed Ethan back and blocked his angry pursuit. On the way back from the school, Alyssa had explained how they'd come to meet the brothers and once they'd made it back into the security of The Hawthorns, it sent him in to a rage.

"You think you're a tough guy?" Ethan spat. "Picking on women? Come on! Stand your ground against a man!" He roared as Alyssa and Callum tried to hold him back.

"Ethan… leave it!" Alyssa begged. "I'm fine, it was nothing!" She tried to calm him down as quickly as she could; she'd seen him lose his temper before and knew it wouldn't end well.

"Bry… are you okay?" Otis fumbled to help his brother to his feet. Ethan was finally settled and sat on the bumper of the black van writhing in his fury.

"I said I was sorry…" Bryar grinned lazily, trying to wind up Ethan as blood trickled down his chin. Ethan snarled from behind Alyssa and Callum.

"Shut up!" Amber hissed as she pointed the barrel of her gun back at Bryar his faint smile soon turned into a scowl and he fell silent.

"We are sorry!" Otis bowed his head in apology for both of their actions. For a moment, everybody looked at each other the tension could be cut with a knife.

"So, what now?" Amber disturbed the silence as she tucked the gun back into her jeans. "What do we do with them?"

"Shoot 'em!" Ethan suggested with a hint of seriousness. Alyssa gave him a concerned look and rolled her eyes.

"Nobody is getting shot!" She tutted before turning to Callum. "Do you still have that key you found?" To which he just nodded waiting to hear her plan. "Good, we'll set it up as a hold in. A prison. We can board up the windows and keep the door locked."

"Lock me up like some kind of animal, eh?" Bryar overheard the conversation.

"Like the animal you are!" Alyssa glared at him and then softened her stare as she saw the panic and confusion on Otis' face. He was harmless, he was easily manipulated by his brother but she didn't think he deserved such a harsh punishment. Besides, his size and strength could come in useful. "Bring him!" She ordered. Ethan stood up and grinned.

"My pleasure!" He said, more composed than before. Stomping over to Bryar, he grabbed him roughly and dragged him along, allowing him to stumble over his own feet.

* * *

After a week or so, Bryar gave up on trying to escape from his confinement. The others allowed Otis to take him a meal a day, they may have been punishing him, but they weren't barbaric. Now, with ten mouths to feed, their supplies were beginning to dwindle quickly.

"We need to head out for more food." Ethan told Callum as they watched from the balcony. Alyssa was giving the others a shooting lesson in a make-shift firing range they'd set up in the car park.

"Indeed." He replied as he looked back to the much smaller pile of boxes, bottles and tins of food. "I think we should keep it between ourselves though, we don't want to make the others panic." He said turning back to the others. "If they know we're almost out of food, who knows how they'd react."

"I agree." Ethan nodded. "Tonight, we'll head out, there's a store on the road into town, we can get in, grab what we need and be back before anybody notices we're gone." The pair of them moved in to the map hanging on the wall and pin pointed the destination Ethan was talking about. It wasn't very far away at all. They could easily do the trip and be back in bed within an hour.

* * *

That night as Callum set Kaira to bed, he said 'goodnight' to Amber and mentioned he was just stepping out to catch some air.

"Be careful Cal." She smiled before heading for a shower. He smiled back and sighed to himself as she closed the door behind herself. He hated lying to Amber but it was best for everybody if they didn't know they were low on food. Turning he headed for the stairs.

"Ready?" Ethan greeted him at the door and handed him a pistol. Taking the gun and sheathing it in the back of his jeans they both rounded the building and jumped into the black van. As they drove out of the compound, the moonlight set an eerie glow over the streets. It was still out, not even a breeze through the leaves and not a person in sight; dead or undead. The two men sat in silence as they prepared themselves for the supply run. An unspoken plan had been formed, get in, grab as much as possible, get out. Simple. Picking up speed, they were almost there when a Walker stepped out into the road in front of them. Without time to think, Ethan swerved around it forcing Callum to grip onto his seat tightly, then a muffled voice from the back of the van.

"Ouch!" Ethan and Callum turned to find Sam in the back rubbing his head as he came out from under a blanket.

"Sam?" Callum gasped in surprise.

"What the…?" Ethan flicked his eyes between the road and the mirror where he could see Samson squirming in guilt as he'd been found.

"I heard you guys talking!" Sam explained. "I wanted to help!" He said, still rubbing his head after he'd been flung around in the back of the van. Callum rolled his eyes then took a deep breath, he knew Sam only wanted to do well, but it was a dangerous world and now they had another body to look after.

"I guess this means another set of hands to carry supplies." Ethan said to diffuse the tension. Callum looked at the driver and then back to Sam, he had a point.

"I guess so, just… stay close." He ordered Sam as he turned back to the road ahead.

"Of course." Sam said shyly. For the rest of the journey nobody said a word except when Callum muttered the odd directional suggestion after he'd practically memorised the street map. Eventually, they pulled to a stop outside of a large grocery store. The glass in the doors was shattered and the frames swung open freely, as the outbreak began it must've been raided but it didn't seem that too much had been taken. The lights inside flickered every couple of minutes adding an extra sense of horror to the scene.

"We're going in there?" Sam gulped.

"Yup." Ethan said bluntly as the three of them just stared at the deserted shop.

"Looks clear." Callum said trying to get a clear view of all the visible aisles. Taking a look around the street they were in, they all stepped out of the van and slowly made their way to the front of the store. Using his gun to push open the broken door, Ethan stepped in first, followed by a nervous Sam and Callum stepped in just behind taking a final glance back to the van to make sure they had a clear run. As they got into the shop, they paused to check the coast was clear, from what they could tell, it was. A few shelves had been cleared and random stock scattered across the floor. The fruit and vegetable aisle wasn't so fresh anymore and the meat counter was empty with bloody handprints over the glass cough guard. The checkout tills had been emptied during the raid, not that currency had any worth in the current circumstances. The trio froze and reached for their guns as a large crow fluttered past them from around the back of a cashier desk. Letting out a nervous giggle as they watched it fly out of the broken doors, Sam swallowed his fear.

"I guess we should hurry." He suggested. Ethan lowered his rifle and nodded.

"Callum, you take Sam and grab as many tins and boxes as you can." He pointed over to a stack of shopping baskets. "Take them, they'll help." The two headed over to the baskets as he finished his plan of action. "I'll go for any leftover drinks I can find."

"Grab some wine for the girls!" Callum called to him and they all smirked before setting off to their appointed aisles. Ethan filled one basket full of water bottles of all sizes, the other held fizzy cans, wine bottles, fruit juice and bottles of beer. Being close to the exit he managed to take a trip to the van and come back for a second load of drinks. Callum filled one of his baskets with jars and tins of tomatoes, beans, pickles, fruit; anything that would last a while. He skipped past the mouldy bread and moved onto the boxes of cereal. A rat hiding behind one of the boxes startled him and forced him to check the boxes he chose weren't infested. He turned around to pass an overflowing basket to Sam before realising the young blonde wasn't there.

"Damnit!" He muttered under his breath before going off in search of his help.

Samson had been distracted by the chocolate and sweets aisle. He'd filled his basket with plenty of treats and was helping himself to a pack of chocolate chip cookies as he browsed the shelves. As he reached the back end of aisle 9, something else caught his curiosity. Two big doors invited him towards them. He came to the conclusion that the doors led to a stock room which could hold more food, perhaps fresher or still frozen. It couldn't hurt to take a look around, Callum and Ethan were only a call away and so he pushed through the swinging doors and found himself in next to darkness. A low buzzing sound emitted from a dull emergency light that lit a long, cold looking corridor. Waiting until his eyes adjusted to the lighting, Sam took a deep breath and decided to continue down the hallway. He passed a door marked "Staff Toilets" and another which stated "Manager's Office – Please Knock". When he reached a door that read "Staff Only", he stopped walking as the darkness began to play tricks on him; turning back the way he came he took a step and then heard a noise coming from the Staff Room.

Callum had searched the entire store for Sam, every aisle, some twice. At the end of his search he began to feel a little worried about the young companion and decided to head back to Ethan to see if he'd seen Sam. Dragging his shopping baskets with him, Callum soon reached the meat counter, taking a glance at the blood soaked glass, he spotted his own reflection and realised just how much he'd changed, how mature he'd been forced to become, how the whole world had changed around him. He bit softly on his own lip in thought for a moment, just as he was about to set back off to Ethan, Sam came bursting back through the double doors, another young man, dressed in the stores uniform colours came stumbling out behind him. The two almost crashed straight into Callum before he managed to drop his baskets and catch them.

"Sam! Where did y… who? What's goin…?" The questions flickered through his mind faster than he could spit out his words.

"Walkers!" Said the stranger. Horror filled his eyes. A second later, the doors swung open once more, this time five walkers came staggering through, three of them wore the same uniform as Sam's new acquaintance, except theirs were covered in dried blood, another walker donned a blood stained suit, and his "Manager" badge glistened in the flickering light. The final one dressed casually, as though she'd just been shopping at the wrong time of the apocalypse outbreak.

"Ethan!" Callum suddenly focussed on the situation as he barked out for assistance. He aimed his gun towards one of the workers and within seconds her brains were splattered over her manager's shirt. Two of the walkers had followed Sam and his new friend down one of the aisles. Trying to stop their pursuit, Sam grabbed a tin from the shelf and launched it at the head of one of the undead. Hitting it directly in the face, its forehead split open upon impact and knocked the walker off balance, it fell against the shelves and knocked boxes all over the floor. It seemed to have not noticed the stumble as it climbed back to its feet and rejoined the chase. By this time, Callum and taken down the suited walker with a gunshot that echoed through the store. The other walker had made its way close enough to Callum so that he couldn't take a shot, instead he stepped backwards as he swung the butt of the firearm up into the walkers jaw, knocking it off balance before Callum managed to send a bullet straight through its skull. The three walkers now slumped over each other on the floor as blood slowly spread over the hard tiles. Sam and the worker had managed to wedge themselves behind a shelving unit at the back of the store and the walkers were struggling to get to them.

"Callum! Ethan!" Sam yelled frantically kicking at the walkers' as they tried to grab for him.

"You should probably go for better value!" Ethan said catching one of the walkers' attention. It moved from the shelves Sam had barricaded himself behind and stepped towards the confident Marine. Ethan loaded his rifle and aimed his crosshairs. As the walker got closer Ethan could smell the rancid and rotten flesh as the dull grey, lifeless eyes fixed on him. Callum came sliding around the corner of an aisle as Ethan pulled the trigger. He sent the bullet straight through the skull of one walker and managed to hit the other with the same shot, they both fell to the ground in unison. Watching the bodies hit the floor; Callum closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Sam put his head back against the wall and took a moment to value his life before he and the male clerk pushed their way out from behind the shelves that had protected them.

"That was close…" Sam said with a grateful look to Ethan.

"What the hell happened? Where did you disappear to? Where did they come from? Who're you?" This time, Callum rolled the questions off his tongue easily without giving anybody a chance to answer.

"Todd…I'm Todd!" Said the new recruit; in a very English accent. He nodded and continued to explain how he'd locked himself up inside the staff room; he'd managed to survive by barricading himself into the changing rooms as the five walkers had lurked outside. Once Sam had heard the noise coming from the staff room, he entered to be met by five hungry mouths. Seeing that somebody was in danger, Todd had come out to help and the two had found themselves running for their lives.

"Sounds about right!" Ethan said rolling his eyes. "Always seem to be finding trouble don't ya kid?" He said giving Sam a playful smack around the back of his head. Sam just blushed and rubbed his head with an apologetic look on his face. Callum smirked before coming back to reality and snapping into action.

"Let's grab what we came for and get out before you get us into any more trouble." He said winking at Samson. "I'm sure the sound of gunshot will have signalled our whereabouts to other Walkers, so let's move quickly!" Within seconds, they'd all set off to collect the full baskets and as a unit they ran outside, loaded the back of the van and all jumped into their seats. As they headed back home along the road, Todd introduced himself properly and filled them in a little more on his history. As he and Sam got tangled into a conversation about what they'd been studying at college, Callum turned to Ethan and shook his head.

"So much for our trip going unnoticed, how're we going to explain picking up the new kid?" The two of them laughed at their predicament and joked about what to tell the others as they drove back to The Hawthorns.


	6. Housewarming Party

Almost a month had faded by since Callum and Amber had found The Hawthorns, their group had grown, from two to eleven, each one's destiny now intertwined with the others' in one way or another. They'd released Bryar from his apartment prison and although they usually kept him under surveillance, he was free to do as he pleased and seemed to be behaving himself.

* * *

Bryar was perched on the back of the red pick-up truck, a twig twisting between his lips, one leg hanging over the edge of the warm metal plate. The sun was beginning to turn his arms and shoulders an uncomfortable shade of pink as he sweated in the heat. He watched as his brother carried a basket full of food from the black van with Ethan and Jacob; another successful supply run, this time without any undead interference.

"Not gonna lend a hand?" Mia asked as she passed by the redneck. Although she was aware of his previous actions, she wasn't afraid of him, and since he'd been released, he hadn't done anything more than possibly lose his temper with Otis for hogging the bathroom.

"They got it under control…" He turned to the young woman as she bent down to place a basket of laundry on the ground. The dead may be walking the Earth but it didn't mean they couldn't have clean clothes. She was wearing a loose fitting white shirt that was lifted slightly by the gentle breeze and revealed her tender waist; Bryar subconsciously licked his lips as his eyes wandered to her firm round buttocks peeking out from the bottom of her denim shorts. Her hair fell over her shoulders and blocked her face from his view but Mia knew he was watching. "How about you…?" He grinned. "Can I give you a hand?" He said dirtily. She knew exactly what he was hinting at but chose to ignore his perversity.

"Sure." She giggled as she tossed a wet pair of boxers over to him, hitting him in the face. He glared in embarrassment and picked up the underwear with the twig he'd been chewing. Jumping from the back of the truck he strolled over to Mia and held the boxers out.

"These yours?" He asked jokingly. Once again, she ignored his words and just took the boxers from the twig and hung them on the washing line they'd strung between two of the buildings. Knowing that she wouldn't take his bait for a flirtatious conversation, he decided to keep quiet and just hang more damp clothing.

"Morning boys…" Mia smiled as Sam and Todd strolled past, heading for the grassy patch beneath the shade of the trees. They gave her a smile and a wave and continued to their destination. Since they'd rescued Todd from the store, the two youngsters had became very close and from the way they were together, Mia knew they had become more than friends. She hit Bryar's arm as she spotted him looking at the young couple in disgust. "Hey! You're not everyone's favourite person but they don't always look at you like that… leave them alone…" She smiled as she looked back to Sam and Todd who'd lay beside each other in the shade. "I think it's cute. It's nice to have somebody around… especially at a time like this."

"It's just not righ-"He was silenced by a stern look from the feisty female. He may not have liked it but he decided it'd be best to keep his opinion to himself for once. After all, she was right; he wasn't anybody's favourite inhabitant right now.

* * *

"That's the worst impression I've ever heard!" Todd laughed at Sam's attempt at a British accent and playfully pushed at his shoulder. Sam smiled back and rolled onto his back to stare at the blue skies.

"Fine. Your turn. Do an American accent…" Sam demanded. Todd lifted himself to his elbow and watched the shadows of the leaves above flutter across the attractive blonde's face, speaking a few random words, his American impression was perfect. "That's pretty good." Sam admitted.

"I've lived here eight years." Todd said. "I think I've heard enough American voices to pick up a few words at least."

"Why'd you come here?" Sam asked wondering about his boyfriend's history. Todd rolled closer to Sam and stroked his face with a fallen leaf; a sorrowful look filled his eyes.

"My mother got a job over here… a week later she found out my father had been having an affair and so nothing was holding us back there. We moved to Athens so she could commute to Atlanta for work soon after." Sam could tell from the look in his eyes that Todd's mother was no longer amongst the living. Feeling his pain, he closed his eyes and slowly lifted his head brushing his lips against Todd's into a gentle and loving kiss.

As Mia folded the last shirt over the clothing line, Bryar scowled as he watched the two young boys in their own private world.

"Come on, I'm sure the others' could use an extra pair of hands." Mia rolled her eyes at the redneck as she grabbed the empty basket and headed back towards the doors of their building. Captivated by the swagger in her step that made her butt swing from side to side, he turned and followed her like a drooling dog.

* * *

Inside, Amber was boiling some pasta as she helped Kaira chop some onions, the pair of them giggled at each other as tears ran down their cheeks. Callum strolled in and kissed his friend on the forehead as though he'd just come in from a day at the office.

"Smells great!" He nodded as the diced onions began sizzling in the pan.

"It's almost ready, so go and get everybody in for dinner." Amber said draining the water from the pasta and adding a jar of creamy sauce to the onions.

"And wash your hands!" Kaira demanded with a cheeky grin.

As the eleven companions settled down around the living room of apartment "98", Amber and Kai served up dishes of the pasta and Alyssa passed out beer bottles to whoever was old enough and soda to the rest.

"Cheers!" Jacob raised his beer in a toast to their health and as a thank you to the girls for the meal before taking a swig and shovelling the food down his throat. The others all raised their drinks to meet his before they too began to eat. The room was filled with conversation, some spoke intimately to the person next to them before joining in with the debate that had fallen over the group about their tastes in music. Bryar even laughed at a joke Ethan had made. The group was quite comfortable in each others' company and continued their chatting into the night.

"I'll take her…" Callum offered to carry Kaira to bed when he noticed she'd fallen asleep against Amber's shoulder. Sam and Todd had also fallen asleep snuggled closely on the sofa; Mia gently shook them by the shoulders to wake them before the three of them left for their beds. As the others decided it was time to call it a night, one by one they said their goodbyes and left the 'party'.

"If you need a break, you know where to find me." Callum said as Ethan and Alyssa left to act as lookout on the balcony above. After a cold shower, he threw the covers down to his waist to let the draught caress him through the open window. Staring out of the window at the stars above, he prayed for another safe night and wished that he could wake up tomorrow and everything be back how it was before the Outbreak. As the thoughts ran through his mind, he realised how good they had it considering the circumstances until a strange feeling twisted in his gut. The feeling that something bad was about to happen. Lying awake he watched as the moon drifted across the sky, this anxious feeling eating away at his mind for a few hours before he finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

His dreams were a victim of his thoughts as scenes of bloodshed and screaming flashed into his head, Walkers feasting on those he now cared for. He raced through a forest, trees whizzed by and flashes of lightning illuminated the blood soaked faces of his nightmare. Making his way into a field, he looked around in the moonlight and realised he was now alone, until he turned to see Amber. Her hair burning in the silver rays from the moon, her soft shoulders lifted as a cold chill swept by in the wind. Stepping closer to her, he reached out his hand, his breathing heavy. In the next flash of lightning, Amber turned to face him, her eyes the dull grey of a Walker, her rotting flesh falling from her cheeks, blood spilling from her lips.

* * *

Bolting upright, Callum woke in a cold sweat, panic searing into his heart as he tried to slow his manic breathing. He was disturbed by a sudden growling sound, startled he leapt for the light switch. Still clinging to the bed sheets to cover his modesty, he realised the sound was from outside and was getting louder… and more familiar. His motorbike.

"HEY!" A voice yelled above the droning sound of the bike. "HEY! THEY'RE COMING!" It was Bryar. He'd waited for Alyssa to fall asleep at her post whilst Ethan was in the bathroom before taking Callum's bike for a spin. Unfortunately, he'd caught the attention of a horde and they were stumbling up the road to The Hawthorns behind him. As he swung the bike around, he flung the chain back around the gates and secured the padlock.

Callum got dressed in a hurry and grabbed for his pistol on the bed side table; he tucked it into the back of his jeans before reaching for the shotgun at the end of the bed.

"Amber!" He yelled swinging open the bedroom door and flicking on the light. "Get up and get somewhere safe!" He said as Amber lifted Kaira from the bed, still rubbing her eyes in the light. They quickly put on their shoes and all headed for the door. Swinging it open, Callum rushed the girls up the stairs to the top apartment and banged heavily against the door opposite. Before Mia answered, Callum had already darted down the stairs and was pounding against the apartment doors of the others. By now, everyone was awake and in a confused frenzy.

"Walkers?" Jacob spat as he pulled on his jacket and holstered his gun. Callum quickly locked the main entrance to the building as Bryar slipped inside. Callum threw the hillbilly fierce look before ushering everybody upstairs.

"I'm sorry…I must've nodded off!" Alyssa apologised as the group readied their weapons. Pistols, Shotguns, Rifles and even a crossbow were loaded and ready for the Walkers.

"Apologise after we get through this!" Callum said as they looked out over the balcony at the mass horde of undead heading their way. There were hundreds, the sound of flesh and bone scraping along the road echoed down the street as the smell of rancid meat drew closer. Todd was ordered to check the door to the apartment was locked and Otis helped him barricade it with a chest of drawers from the bedroom. Mia paced the living room before seeing the fear in Kaira's eyes and holding onto her tightly on the sofa. The others all stood on the balcony, their hearts racing at the sight of what seemed to be the entire population of Athens, only they were all flesh eating, undead Walkers. Amber swallowed her fear and linked her fingers through Callum's and gripped tightly, he felt her hand tremble in his and squeezed it tightly to let her know he was there for her. Even though he was pretending to be brave for his best friend, his eyes were blurring with fear and so he took a deep breath and aimed his weapon. "Let's do this!" He quivered.

The first Walker was taken down as Alyssa lined it up in the crosshairs of her sniper rifle, then another and another, Ethan was next to open fire with his automatic rifle. More Walkers' hit the floor but the rest continued onwards, trampling the bodies of the fallen. By now, they were close enough for the others to begin shooting. Callum fired rounds into the crowd below, watching as his bullets dropped more Walkers to the floor. The sound of the gunfire was drawing the Walkers' attention to the balcony and they had crowded round the bottom of the building but as the back of the horde pressed forward, some were beginning to bombard the gates.

"Protect the gates!" Ethan ordered as he swung his aim towards the entrance gates. Bryar joined him and sent bolts from his crossbow whistling into the skulls of Walkers closest to the gates but with each that thudded onto the ground, another treaded on top and took its place. Jacob and Sam helped to pile up a few bodies too before Amber decided she was ready to open fire. With each shot, a grunt, a sigh or a cheer was heard from the group as they watched the horde press on. It seemed endless and then it got worse. The chains locking the gates snapped under the sheer pressure and the gates burst open allowing the horde to flood the compound.

"Crap!" Alyssa ran over besides Ethan and tried to take down as many from the front of the pack as she could, but with so many now roaming the gardens it seemed hopeless. From inside, Mia watched out of a window as Walkers choked themselves with the washing line and clumsily tore down the laundry she'd hung that afternoon but now wasn't the time to worry about clean clothes. Amber let out a violent scream as she shot down more Walkers, adrenaline surged through her body. Hearing the shrillness in her scream, Callum froze and turned to her, the vision from his nightmare glazed over her face. He wasn't going to let that happen. He couldn't lose her, the girl he truly loved. Using this as a boost of motivation, he focussed his gun and pumped more bullets into the undead. Bodies scattered the car park, small heaps formed in various places as the Walkers poured into The Hawthorns.

"They're almost in!" Todd ran in from the back bedroom where he had a clear view of the building entrance. The door may have been solid and heavy with a sturdy lock, but under the weight of all those bodies pushing and pounding against it, it may as well be paper. The group froze and the gun fire stopped as they heard the terrifying sound of the door downstairs collapsing. Getting back to the Walkers who were still outside, the group continued to take down as many as they could. Until another horrifying noise sent fear through all of them. They all turned and faced the apartment door as the undead began to thud against it.

"Quickly!" Ethan moved into the apartment and grabbed planks of wood they'd been using to carry supplies upstairs with. Heading back to the balcony, he slid the wooden slats from the edge of their lookout to the balcony protruding from the apartment block next door. "Come on!" He said as he motioned for Mia to bring Kaira and the others out to the balcony. Alyssa, Callum and Samson moved inside to give the others some room, Jacob, Amber and Bryar continued firing at the Walkers in the car park.

"Amber, take Kaira…" Callum looked at the red haired beauty as tears filled her eyes but she knew they had to do something and so swiftly she lifted the young girl and balanced her on the wooden planks. Kaira yelped as she saw the Walkers snarling from below.

"Don't look down, sweetie. It's going to be okay. Just take a few steps across here and I'll be right behind you!" Amber tried to be as gentle and reassuring as she could. Kaira nodded and slowly shuffled along the splintered bridge.

"You're next!" Callum ordered looking straight to Amber once more. The banging on the apartment door was sending fear through them every second, they knew the barricade of heavy drawers would hold for a while but it wouldn't be long before the Walkers were in. Amber clambered up onto the wood and keeping her eyes focussed straight ahead she too made her way to the balcony across from theirs. Samson and Todd were next to cross and they made their way into the apartment and checked it hadn't yet been occupied by the undead.

"Callum!" Amber cried as she held Kaira close to her. Callum fired down at more Walkers before turning to her.

"Callum, go!" Ethan shouted to him. "She needs you…go!" Callum nodded in salute to him before he jumped up onto the wooden boards and practically ran across. Bryar shot more bolts into the chaos below and turned to Callum.

"Take this idiot with you!" He said motioning for Otis to follow. Mia panicked as Otis clambered up onto the boards.

"Whatever happened to 'ladies first'?" She snarled, unheard because of the gunfire and the hissing Walkers beneath them. The wooden slats creaked as Otis tread the boards with his weight. Mia took a deep breath as she watched the boards bend under the large redneck and sighed in relief as he jumped down into the balcony on the other side.

"Come on Mia!" Amber called to her as she watched the ex-barmaid lift herself onto the boards. "Come on, don't look down!" She advised. Slowly Mia took a step forward, then another, the boards groaned and creaked, weary from the weight of the others, mainly Otis.

"You're almost here!" Callum said supportively. Mia took another deep breath and placed her front in front of the other. Crunch. The board snapped in two. Callum threw out his hand to catch her but it was too late, she screamed as she plummeted into the pit of hungry Walkers. Amber gasped in disbelief and ran to the edge of the balcony. The others who had witnessed it stunned and silenced but there were no time to mourn. No sooner had they lost Mia, the apartment door was bust open with a loud crash.

* * *

"Go!" Alyssa yelled as she lined up besides Ethan and aimed her pistol at the hallway, waiting for the Walkers. "We'll meet you at the van!" Callum nodded and dragged Amber away from the balcony. He led Amber, Kaira, Sam and Todd to the door of this apartment and he checked the stairwell. Their presence next door had distracted the Walkers from this block and the coast was clear.

"Alyssa…" Bryar lined himself up with the two Marines and pulled out his gun. "I just want to say… I'm sorry for what I did to you back there!" She didn't reply or even look at him but deep down, she was grateful for his apology and silently forgave him.

"There'll be time for that later." Ethan grunted, knowing that there probably wasn't going to be a later. He loaded his rifle and began to fire as the Walkers entered the living room of the place they'd called home. "Looks like we have some uninvited guests!" He smirked before the trio fired bullet after bullet into the continuous stream of monsters entering the room. Even with their skills and experience, there was just too many Walkers coming at them and it wasn't long before they were the next course. Jacob watched as Ethan, Alyssa and Bryar screamed in pain and struggled to keep fighting as they were bitten and scratched. He looked around for an escape, he checked the distance between balconies but it was too far to jump. He scanned the walls and roof for an easy climb but there was nothing. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, this was the end for him. He stepped back and felt the cold brick of the balcony press against his back as he watched Walkers stagger towards him. He fired his last few bullets into the crowd as a single tear trickled down his cheek.

"You're not taking me that easily!" He said before letting out a scream as a Walker bit into his shoulder. Wrapping his arms around the biter, Jacob threw himself backwards from the balcony and smashed against the hard floor below. His body was soon a banquet for the Walkers who hadn't yet made it inside the building but he died on his own terms.

* * *

Next door, Callum closed his eyes and winced as he heard the gunfire and screams from apartment "100". They'd sacrificed themselves to make time for him and the others to escape. He nodded in appreciation but knew he couldn't just stand around and mope; he couldn't let their sacrifice be for nothing. Making their way down the dark staircase they made it to the main entrance of this block. Listening quietly, they could hear the commotion of Walkers next door; Callum opened the door slightly to check outside. The pathway to the van was clear except for a few Walkers who were still wandering aimlessly; the others had made their way to share the remains of the unlucky ones. Closing the door gently, Callum whispered the plan. It was simple, he was going to run out and cause a diversion whilst the others ran to the van. Amber would then drive the van around to the entrance gates and Callum would meet them there.

"Understand?" He asked as the others all nodded.

"Be careful!" Amber brushed his hair from his fame and looked into his eyes. "Promise me you'll be there!" She whimpered. He nodded and gave her that comforting smile he always did. "Callum…" She paused. "I love you!" Before she'd even finished her words, she'd kissed him. It only lasted a couple of second but it was so passionate and filled with so much love it dazed him slightly. Clearing his head and taking a deep breath he opened the door. Stepping outside, he was about to yell when Otis barged past him. The redneck ran into the car park and headed for his brothers' pick-up truck.

"Bry!? Bry! Where are you Bryar?" He shouted as his brain slowly tried to figure out what had happened to his only family. Callum started for him and then froze as he watched Otis grab the attention of surrounding Walkers. There was no time, the plan changed instantly. Unfortunately, Otis had just unknowingly sacrificed himself for their survival and as the group made their way towards their van, Otis became a super-sized meal for the Walkers.

The remaining survivors scurried to the vehicle and kept their eyes peeled for any stray Walkers. Quickly, Callum flung the back doors open and raced around to the driver's seat. Amber and Kaira hopped into the back hastily and helped pull Sam into the van, turning back to Todd Sam's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Todd was standing behind the van blood poured down his neck as a Walker tore a chunk from his shoulder.

"NO!" Sam yelled and reached for his love. Amber swiftly grabbed the young blonde and held him back.

"Drive!" She screeched. "Drive Callum, Drive!" Instantly the engine roared and the van sped into motion, weaving in and out of the piles of bodies, slamming against any Walkers still in their way.

"NO!" Samson wailed as he watched Todd being fed upon. Keeping one arm around him Amber quickly closed the van doors and they raced through the gates, bumping over the mound of dead bodies that they'd shot down earlier.

Apart from their frantic breathing and sobs, the van stayed quiet. Amber wept as she held onto Sam, tears streaming down his face. Kaira too huddled close to them quietly sobbing and Callum kept his red eyes focussed on the road ahead as they left The Hawthorns behind them.

* * *

By the time the sun began to rise on the horizon, they'd reached the outskirts of Athens, travelling south. Kaira had fallen asleep and Sam had huddled into the corner and stared blankly at nothing. Amber had climbed over into the passenger seat beside Callum and rested her head on his shoulder. It all seemed so surreal now. As they drove along, Callum heard a noise, a broken hiss. The radio. He turned up the volume and twisted the dials on the front. A smile spread across his cheeks as they heard something. A Voice.

"If anybody's out there, we've found a safe place. Oconee National Forest, in Georgia. Just outside of Atlanta. There are no Walkers here. There's food and water and other survivors. If you can hear us, you're welcome to join us! Please, do join us! There is still hope!"


End file.
